Abstract The presence and accessibility of a sub‐ice‐surface saline ocean at Enceladus, together with geothermal activity and a rocky core, make it a compelling location to conduct further, in‐depth, astrobiological investigations to probe for organic molecules indicative of extraterrestrial life. Cryovolcanic plumes in the south polar region of Enceladus enable the use of remote in situ sampling and analysis techniques. However, efficient plume sampling and the transportation of captured organic materials to an organic analyzer present unique challenges for an Enceladus mission. A systematic study, accelerating organic ice‐particle simulants into soft inert metal targets at velocities ranging 0.5–3.0 km s−1, was carried out using a light gas gun to explore the efficacy of a plume capture instrument. Capture efficiency varied for different metal targets as a function of impact velocity and particle size. Importantly, organic chemical compounds remained chemically intact in particles captured at speeds up to ~2 km s−1. Calibration plots relating the velocity, crater, and particle diameter were established to facilitate future ice‐particle impact experiments where the size of individual ice particles is unknown.

中文翻译：

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表征有机粒子对惰性金属表面的影响：在土卫二羽流超高速凌日过程中捕获有机分子的基础

摘要 土卫二冰下咸海的存在和可达性，加上地热活动和岩石核心，使其成为进行进一步深入的天体生物学研究以探测指示外星生命的有机分子的一个引人注目的地点。 . 土卫二南极地区的冰火山羽流使远程原位采样和分析技术的使用成为可能。然而，高效的羽流采样和将捕获的有机材料运输到有机分析仪对土卫二任务提出了独特的挑战。使用轻气枪将有机冰粒子模拟物以 0.5–3.0 km s-1 的速度加速进入软惰性金属目标的系统研究，以探索羽流捕获仪器的功效。不同金属目标的捕获效率作为冲击速度和颗粒大小的函数而变化。重要的是，有机化合物在以高达 ~2 km s−1 的速度捕获的粒子中保持化学完整性。建立了与速度、陨石坑和粒子直径相关的校准图，以促进未来冰粒子撞击实验，其中单个冰粒子的大小是未知的。